


The Things They Taught Us

by captain_britain



Series: The Crab Wars [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Gen, I woke up with this in my brain and it would not leave me alone, Meta, Very loosely based off The Things They Carried
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:35:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29631261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_britain/pseuds/captain_britain
Summary: At first, the Clones taught them practical things. Obi-Wan wasn’t even sure that they were aware that they were doing it.
Relationships: Clones & Jedi
Series: The Crab Wars [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2177163
Comments: 1
Kudos: 47





	The Things They Taught Us

At first, the Clones taught them practical things. Obi-Wan wasn’t even sure that they were aware that they were doing it. The Jedi weren’t trained in the art of war, even if Obi-Wan had prior experience, so the Clones taught them the practicalities of war. Without realizing it, the Clones taught their generals how to sleep with their boots on, how to pitch a tent so it wouldn’t be swept away in a midnight storm, how to make rations last twice as long as they should, and how to flank an army with a single squad. Eventually, the Clones began to become more comfortable with their commanders and realized just how wide the gaps in the Jedi’s knowledge were. Then, they started teaching their commanders intentionally. Rex taught Anakin how to field strip a blaster. Kix made sure that Ahsoka knew basic first aid and Cody, despite Obi-Wan’s protests, made sure that his general knew how to load and fire a blaster.

It wasn’t a one way street by any means. The Jedi taught the soldiers under their command that individuality was nothing to fear, even encouraged them to express themselves. Anakin and Obi-Wan taught their men to play cards and then how to cheat at cards. On a rare day that all three companies were on Coruscant at once, Obi-Wan sat down with Rex, Cody, and Wolffe and taught them how to shield their minds from the worst that Force users could throw at them. Anakin taught the 501st how to forage during one particularly grueling mission and, in return, Rex taught his general how to quiet his mind on day-long treks through the wilderness. 

The Clones taught their Jedi how to set up ambushes, how to diffuse bombs, and how to speak with their hands when the smoke of battle or unshed tears choked them. The Jedi taught their Clones how to paint their skin and hair with bright colors, how to make choices for themselves, and how to turn their backs on those whose words were laced with poison and lashed like a whip when they were allowed to land.

Perhaps most importantly, the Clones taught each other. Jango taught the earliest generations the traditions, stories, and language of Mandalore, and those generations passed the lessons down to their younger brothers. On the front lines, veterans taught shines how to breathe through their mouths to avoid gagging on the scent of burnt flesh and hair left behinds by blaster bolts that met their mark. Clone Commanders taught each other which generals to avoid if possible and which generals could be trusted with their brothers. Shore leave meant that older brothers taught their younger brothers which bars were friendly to Clones and how to avoid getting scammed at street markets, and those closest to the Jedi taught their brothers to see their commanding officers not as mythic warriors, but as fallible men and women who suffered losses right alongside their troops.

As the war dragged on, the Jedi started to learn less concrete things from their troops. Plo Koon watched Wolffe, Boost, and Sinker paint their armor grey after the loss of their entire battalion and learned to grieve. Obi-Warn saw the way Cody praised even the newest shiny for giving their best effort and slowly learned his own worth. By spending time with the 501st, Anakin learned what it was like to have a family, something that would one day save the galaxy. Mace watched the way that the 91st approached experiences that were mundane to the Jedi with wonder and remembered there was a life beyond the echoing halls of the Temple.

As the Clones learned to see themselves as people rather than tools of the Republic, they began to learn from their surroundings. Fox saw the corruption and inefficiencies as the heart of the Republic. Ponds and Cody and Wolffe watched their generals struggle to come to terms with their roles in the war, and Rex watched Anakin’s mental state deteriorate steadily over the years they worked together. The Clones saw all of this and learned that the Republic was sick. Then, they turned their minds, so wonderfully strategic and organized and analytical, to solving the problem themselves. They used the lessons they learned from Jedi, from their surroundings, and from each other, and came to realize on simple truth.

The war, the Republic, the Jedi Order, all of it was collapsing, and they, the Clones, were the only thing holding it all together. If they left, everything would come crashing down.

**Author's Note:**

> Think of this as the opening scroll. I know it's mostly meta, but bear with me. Nonsense will come soon enough.


End file.
